


The Trouble With Heights

by Tahlruil



Series: Walking the Wall [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 09:53:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6419161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tahlruil/pseuds/Tahlruil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alysia Trevelyan likes to test her balance in high places; Jarod Hawke does not like to watch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Trouble With Heights

**Author's Note:**

> My brain has been so consumed by this pairing that I'll probably be posting at least one scene a day for a while.
> 
> Any feedback so I can improve would be much loved.

Alysia knew that the Champion of Kirkwall was a legend partly because of his bravery. He’d stared down the Arishok without blinking – with Bull as a reference, she better understood the kind of balls that had taken. When Orsino had betrayed the mages in his care by using blood magic, Hawke simply took it in stride and took care of the problem, and he’d never been cowed by the tyrannical Meredith either. Yes, everything she’d read in Varric’s book and everything she’d heard from the dwarf since pointed to Hawke’s incredible courage. She, however, had found a weak point in that bravery.

When someone that wasn’t him played around on anything higher than his shoulders, he turned into a fretting nursemaid.

“I _really_ think you ought to stop that.” He told her for what had to be the hundredth time. Biting back a grin, the Inquisitor looked over to him, cocking one eyebrow. Full of pent-up, nervous energy, she’d clambered up onto the edge of the battlements, walking there instead of the actual walkway. Hawke had been trying to bring her back down ever since.

She just knew that he was just itching to grab hold of her and haul her down, something _she_ was itching to tease him for. “I’m fine, Hawke. This isn’t even that scary, or that high. Last time I went to the Storm Coast-“

“No. Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.” Maker, but he could be adorable. His jaw was working in concerned agitation, and his hands were continually clenching and unclenching into fists. The man was obviously distressed, watching her every step like… like a hawk.

That thought sent her into a fit of giggles – she couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. The sound surprised her enough that she cut it off quickly, a bit wide-eyed with shock. Meanwhile, Hawke’s sharp-eyed frown had disappeared into that roguish grin of his. The white of his teeth was always a bit startling when he flashed them at her, a perfect contrast with his tan skin and dark beard. Part of her was sure that was where half the charm in his smile came from.

“I’m glad you think this is funny. I’m the one who will have to explain to Cullen why the Lady Inquisitor went ‘splat’.”

“If you’re that worried about the big scary Commander, you’ll just have to catch me if I pitch over.”

For just a second, his face paled like he could picture her falling with perfect clarity. “Hawke, calm down.” Her voice was even and steady, not betraying her amusement at his nervousness. “I saw you standing up here yesterday while you were waiting for me.” That had been a nice surprise, learning that he liked walking with her enough to not start his rounds without her. “If the Champion of Kirkwall can keep to his feet, surely the Herald of Andraste turned Inquisitor can manage at least that much.”

There was a sour twist to his mouth now, but his warm amber eyes were sparkling. “Yes yes. You’re so much more impressive than me. Chosen of the Maker, so on and so forth. I bow to your superiority.” Suddenly, his expression changed to a decidedly devious smirk. “That means Varric’s book about _you_ will utterly eclipse mine. All my fans will desert me to flock to you.” He laughed at the look of horror on her face, his hands going to the back of his head in a gesture of total ease; even then, he couldn’t help looking over at her continually to make sure she wasn’t in the process of falling over the edge. “I give them to you freely. Enjoy.”

“How generous of you.” They’d reached the beginning of the huge gap in her otherwise impressive wall, so she came to a stop and regarded him solemnly. “In return, so you won’t be lonely without them, I’ll send Cassandra to your side once this is all over. She can be your constant companion – you won’t have time to even notice your fans are gone.” It was probably beneath her to enjoy the shudder that wracked his body, but she did anyway. Immensely.

“I shall never forgive you if you do. I won’t be able to, because her nagging and constant interrogations will kill me within a day.”

“Oh stop. I don’t think she’s that bad.”

“She also _likes_ you.”

That was a fair point; Cass was indeed a terror towards anyone she didn’t approve of. Still, after pretending to ponder it for a moment, she shrugged. “Well, I am very likeable. Something about holding the fate of the world in my hands has people eager to befriend me.”

Hawke scoffed, then decided he’d had enough of her daring escapade. Reaching up, he took hold of her hips to lift her down. It would have worked well, except that she was so surprised by the move that had come out of nowhere that she gasped, then jerked… and things almost ended very badly. The man went ashen, and yanked her forward to counteract her backwards momentum. In the process, he lost _his_ footing and down they went in a tumble, him grunting in surprise while she yelped. The Inquisition soldiers stationed at the far end of that section of the wall came running, but stopped and stared when both Champion and Inquisitor began to laugh.

Alysia had ended up on top of him, but she quickly rolled to the left to prevent any awkwardness. Laying side-by-side on their backs, they stared at the sky as they chuckled, both enjoying the moment. When their laughter finally quieted, she turned her head toward him, giving him a rather arch look. “That was your fault. Those soldiers are going to report this to Cullen, and when he starts to scold, I’m going to make sure he knows that you almost made me fall to a bone-crunching death.”

“And I’ll be telling the Commander about your penchant for flirting with death by height. He’ll forgive me, since I was trying to get you down.”

“I don’t think so. He’s pretty growly at the moment. We’re setting off tomorrow for the Winter Palace.” Her mood turned somber, eyes going back to the sky. That Blighted ball was almost upon her. Her advisors – except maybe Cullen – were fully expecting her to dazzle everyone in attendance. Josie had been lecturing even more than usual about courtly manners, and Leliana kept popping up at the oddest times and quizzing her on trivia that might prove useful while playing the Grand Game. Even Cassandra was adding to the pressure without meaning to, loudly insisting to anyone who would listen that the Inquisitor would take the Orlesian court by storm.

Just thinking about it made her edgy and more than a little frightened. Panic caught in her throat, making it hard to speak or breathe; she swallowed hard to try and dislodge it, but the effort failed – just like she was going to. She bit her lower lip, trying to look like she wasn’t close to falling apart. “He’s mad as a baited bear. He’ll be glad to yell at someone to get his anger out.” Thank the Maker her voice was still steady. As long as it didn’t quaver or hitch, she knew she was still in control. If she still sounded like she knew what she was doing, no one would guess that she was terrified of facing everyone’s disappointment when she failed.

“Ugh. A ball in the Winter Palace… sounds worse than the Deep Roads. I might be willing to let him yell at me.” A pause, and from the corner of her eye, she saw him turn his head toward her. “I would attend as well, take some of the attention and pressure off of you, but I really, really don’t want to. It’s going to be absolutely mad.”

She didn’t know why, bit that made her laugh. After all, she couldn’t be mad at him; if she could, she’d opt out of going as well. Maybe if she came down with a severe cold… The brush of calloused fingers over her cheek startled her out of her thoughts, and she quickly looked over at the man beside her. He looked worried, and not in the way Josie and Leliana did. He didn’t seem concerned about whether or not she could impress the royal court; he was worried about _her_.

“I definitely don’t envy you, Lady Inquisitor.” There was enough sympathy in his voice that she sent him a tiny smile of thanks. “Is your impending trip why you seem so cagey today?”

He’d noticed, and that made her bite her lip and look away again. “I guess. It’s going to be awful, I know it. And everyone is expecting me to be all wonderful and glamorous and impressive… and all I can think is that under it all, I’m still just a sheltered Circle mage who’s never danced with anyone but Josephine. They’re going to eat me alive, Hawke. Everything that Josephine and Leliana are trying to accomplish is going to fail, because how can I be anything but ridiculous to the court?” Varric had heard her fears, of course, but it was different to murmur them to Hawke as they lay under the open blue sky. “Everyone is going to be so disappointed in me…”

A silence descended, one that had her squirming nervously. Did he think she was a silly little girl for being so afraid of a ball? Most ladies of her station would be thrilled to go and dance the night away, but she’d honestly rather go tramp around in the Fallow Mire. At least there, she knew what to defend herself against.

“Alysia.” Hearing her name on his lips was nicer than she’d expected – his voice was soft and deep, filled with enough concern that it warmed her from the tips of her ears all the way down to her toes. “It’s going to be all right. No matter what those silly, fretting fools have made you think, the fate of Thedas does _not_ depend on one ball. Even if things don’t go the way you want, you’ll survive, and it’ll be okay in the end.” He paused, and when he continued she could hear the grin he was wearing in his voice. “And if Josephine and Leliana give you any trouble about it afterwards, tell me and I’ll turn them into frogs.”

Throughout his speech, she’d felt some of her tension start to drain away. He was right – he had to be. Even if the ball was more important than he knew, there were more important things to worry about than impressing a bunch of noble courtiers. She was the Inquisitor; whatever else they thought, her title was enough to demand respect. When he finished with that absurd threat, a bark of laughter escaped, frazzled nerve soothed for the moment.

“You will not. Mostly because that spell isn’t even a thing, but also because I need them.”

“Well, then while you have your tussle with Corypheus I’ll create the spell. Then, when you are victorious and you need them no longer, I’ll turn them into frogs. Not Cullen though – I’ve no doubt he’d save you from the occasion if he could. Then he wouldn’t have to go either.”

About to respond to that, she flinched instead when she heard a voice calling for her. The Antivan accent was unmistakable, and the woman groaned without meaning to. Hawke snickered softly, finding a measure of amusement in her dismay. She supposed it served her right, after all the teasing she’d done earlier. Still, she wouldn’t take it laying down. “Keep it up and I’ll tell her you want to come to the ball. She’d be thrilled, and you could join me in all my lessons.”

He gasped in mock horror, then rolled over on his side to face her. “I meant it earlier. You’re going to do fine, so stop worrying so much. When you get there, just give them that charming smile and they’ll all fall at your feet.” 

“You’re sweet. A liar, but sweet.” Josie’s voice was getting closer, and Alysia wrinkled her nose in displeasure, pushing herself up into a sitting position. “I’d better go before she finds me here.” It was _their_ spot, after all; her ambassador couldn’t be allowed to intrude. “If she finds me with you, she will drag you along to my dance lesson – she’d be thrilled to have a man for me to partner with so I can practice following instead of leading.” She rolled her eyes, then looked to the man who hadn’t sat up yet; he seemed perfectly content to lay there on the cold stone, his eyes laughing at her.

“A terrible fate to be sure. Go on then. And try to have a little fun at the ball – you might surprise yourself.”

Her nose wrinkled again as she shook her head emphatically; he laughed and winked at her. Alysia huffed indignantly, then got to her feet. “Goodbye, Hawke. Try not to push anyone else off the battlements while I’m gone.” His protests filling her ears, the Inquisitor turned on her heel and left, feeling strangely cheerful despite the certain doom she was headed for.


End file.
